


On Her Ship Tied To the Mast

by 6footdown



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Azula is an okay sister, F/F, F/M, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Lesbian Azula (Avatar), M/M, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar) is Under Pressure, Useless Lesbian Azula (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Brother, Zuko and Azula share one brain cell, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, and its iroh's, azula is a lesbian and no one can change my mind, eventual Azula/Katara, everything changed when the water tribes attacked, evil waterbenders au, prodigy katara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:28:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26170414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/6footdown/pseuds/6footdown
Summary: Azula was just trying to keep her brother from going off the deep end (literally) on a wild goose chase. Actually finding the Avatar in the south pole was never part of the plan. But, what was the princess of what's left of the Fire Nation if not flexible?Katara was a bender at three, an honors student of Master Hama at seven, and a Master herself at twelve. Then, at fourteen, her father commanded her to find and recruit the long-missing Avatar. Even with her brother slowing her down, she wouldn't disappoint her father. As future chief, she needed a good first impression to her tribe, after all.Or, the Water Tribes seized the opportunity of a surprise eclipse and started a world war. The Air Nomads were gone, the Fire Nation crumbled, and the Earth Kingdom was beginning to crack under the pressure a century of war brought down. And the Avatar was still an inexperienced twelve years old.
Relationships: Aang & Azula (Avatar), Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Azula & Iroh (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 107





	1. With a little motivation I'll go far

“Just say it! We’re lost!”

“I’d like to see you try to navigate down here, every glacier and rock looks exactly the same. With you at the helm, we would’ve been lost sooner!” 

Zuko scoffed angrily, sparks spitting out of his mouth in frustration. “Yeah, well now we’re too far away for a flare, so maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing.” 

Azula on the opposite end of the boat rolled her eyes. 

“Quit complaining. It’s no wonder you’re a sub-par firebender if you get this whinny at every minor inconvenience. That, and you still refuse my help.”

His good eye twitched. “I don’t need it!” He yelled, sitting up straighter in the boat. 

“So defensive….” his sister muttered under her breath as she turned to look behind her. 

“What did you say?” Zuko demanded. 

Azula smirked and turned her head back toward him. “I said-”

She froze for a second, shock filling her face as she stared at something over her brother’s shoulder.

“Turn!”

“What?” He whipped his head around and followed Azula’s gaze. Their small canoe was caught in a current, speeding toward the sharp edge of a glacier. “Turn!” He yelled as he fumbled with the oars. 

Azula took one and began frantically paddling toward the side of the current. She pushed against sheets of broken up ice. 

“Stop it! You’re just rocking the boat!” She turned to look at him with visible anger, clutching the oar tightly.

“What do you _propose_ we do then! Because _I don’t_ feel like being smashed to bits against the side of an iceberg!” They were approaching rapidly, with only ten or twenty feet between them and a canoe crash.

He looked around for a moment, then lifted the oar over his head like a spear. Bracing himself, he yelled, “Just hold on!” 

Zuko slammed the paddling-end of the oar as hard as he could down into a sheet of ice, slamming the boat to a halt as he dug it into the surface. 

“Holy shit-” Azula was cut off by Zuko grabbing her sleeve. 

“Jump on the ice! I can’t hold on!”

“That’s fucking stupid.”

“Get out of the fucking boat or I _will_ burn your stupid letters from Ty Lee!”

She shuffled toward the edge of the boat apprehensively. “If I fall in and freeze to death I am _dragging_ you down with me.” She lifted a foot onto the wall of the canoe and grabbed her brother’s shoulder for support. 

Zuko yelled, “Hurry the hell up if you don’t want to drown!”

Then she jumped. 

For a terrifying second, Azula was suspended between the boat and the ice above the choppy water. When her body hit the ice she flailed around, grabbing at the edges of it as the sheet teetered in the water. 

Once the violent rocking had stopped she looked up at her brother. He was struggling against the current, one hand gripping the boat and the other clutching the oar that impaled the tiny island of frozen water. “Grab my hand!”

He looked down at her, then back at the canoe for a second. “You better not let me fall.”

Azula scoffed, “I don’t plan on it.”

Zuko gripped his sister’s arm tightly. The other hand on the oar, he climbed onto the edge of the boat and flung himself toward the ice.

He landed halfway on the sheet with his legs hanging off above the water. Azula heaved the rest of him to safety. 

They both turned at a loud crashing sound. The boat, that they were in just seconds ago, was being crushed between two blocks of ice colliding into each other. Bits of wood drifted past them in the current.

The siblings sat there for a few seconds, panting and catching their breath. Zuko collapsed onto his back and said, “The hell do we do now?”

His sister glared at him. “How am I supposed to know? It’s your fault we’re in this mess now. _You_ figure it out.”

He sputtered and sat up on his elbows immediately, glaring back. “It’s not my fault!”

“Sure.” Azula rolled her eyes. 

“It isn’t!”

There was visible steam coming from his mouth as he stood up. His voice had gone up in pitch slightly.

“I knew I should’ve left you on the ship. Leave it to you to always make a mess of things.”

“Shut up!”

“I mean really, we had one job, and you had to screw it up.”

Something snapped in Zuko’s gut. He clenched his smoldering fists.

“No. I am _sick_ of you always pinning the blame on me! Everything is always _my fault_! Well let me tell you, you aren’t as perfect as you think you are!”

Zuko’s sentences were punctuated with wild bursts of fire as his arms swung around him. Azula eyed the blasts, none of which looked particularly focused or impressive. They grew stronger and wilder as he ranted, the heat even making the numbness in her nose slowly subside. “Zuzu-” she started sarcastically but was cut off.

“You’ve made just as many mistakes as me, probably more, and you never face the consequences. Somehow you _always_ turn it around on me!”

His hot bursts of rage made contact with the glacier behind them. A brittle cracking sound could be heard through his rant, which made Azula’s eyes widened the slightest bit.

“Zuko. L-”

“I’m done!”

The split’s in the ice’s surface doubled in size as his flames dug deeper. They spread up the iceberg and Azula watched, mesmerized, as pieces began to fall into the water.

“This is the _last_ time you get to tell me it’s my fault when it isn’t. I w-”

“Zuko!”

In the corner of his eye, Zuko could see something above him descending. The glacier was falling apart. _Shit_ , he thought, before being yanked away from death by his parka sleeve. He and his sister dove to the side as chunks of ice slammed down behind them. The firebender clutched the edge of sheet ice they were sprawled across and held on as it rocked violently in the water. 

The water slowly evened out. Zuko released his grip. And raised his eyebrows when he saw Azula still tightly clutching his sleeve. She quickly followed his gaze to her hands and shoved his arm away before standing and surveying what was left of the iceberg. 

“Great job, dum-dum. You destroyed a glacier.”

He looked at it in awe. “I did that?”

“Unless you want me to say it’s _my_ fault, yes. Yes, you did.”

He got back onto his feet and made his way over to the fragment that remained. There were dark shadows inside, things that became frozen along with the water. One shadow looked strangely… humanoid.

“So, how are we getting home? Because I’m not paddling this stupid hunk of frozen water back to the ship.”

“Azula, come here.” Quizzically, she made her way to her brother’s side.

“What?”

He pointed to the center of the ice. “Does it look like something’s in there to you?”

She studied it for a moment. “I guess. Probably just driftwood or garbage or something.” 

“No, I mean-” He squinted. “Does it look like some _one_ ’s in there?”

A second passed before Azula let out a dry snort. “Come on Zuzu, I’m not stupid. How could there be-”

Two small but bright lights began to glow from inside the glacier. It came from the smaller of the two shadows and illuminated the silhouette of a small person. Milliseconds later, the shape of an arrow glowed on their forehead and hands. “A person…” She finished. The lights, she realized, were coming from their opening eyes. 

“They’re still alive in there.”

Zuko jumped from the smaller plot of ice onto the slope of the other. He unsheathed one of the dual Dao swords strapped to his back and swung it at the curved surface. 

“Uh- you idiot, Zuko, wait!” She followed him. His third or fourth swing had carved a decent shelf into the ice. 

Azula had opened her mouth to shout something else when a burst of freezing air assaulted her and blew both of them back ten feet. 

The small crack Zuko’s sword had made grew and split the ice in two. The top and sides exploded into the sky, flinging shards of ice in every direction as air rushed out of the chamber inside. 

A bright blue light tore through the sky. It resembled a beacon and blinded the siblings until it faded into nothing. 

Zuko had instinctively curled over his sister and shielded her from the razor-sharp shards. He looked up over his shoulder after a few moments, blinking rapidly. Azula shoved Zuko off of her and yanked him to his feet. They both rubbed their eyes as the image burnt into their retinas faded. 

“What _was_ that?” she asked. Zuko looked around, then as soon as he caught sight of the broken shell of ice, someone with glowing eyes and symbols began to climb up from the other side.

“Who are you?” he yelled, putting a hand in front of Azula as the figure managed to stand up on the ledge. Then after a few seconds, the image he was seeing registered in his mind and his arm lowered. A boy, struggling to keep himself upright. He stumbled. The glowing in his eyes and skin faded, and he collapsed.

Zuko came forward out of reflex and caught him. He grunted as the sudden weight fell into his arms and he lowered the kid to the ground. 

He appeared to be unconscious, but he turned his head away from the sun and squinted, which seemed like a good sign to the firebender. His eyelids began to flutter when Azula kneeled next to him and prodded his bald head with a pointy red nail. 

“Azula, knock it off.”

“Move over, he’s waking up!”

She shoved her brother out of the way and leaned over him as the boy began to open his eyes. They were a stormy grey that resembled Ty Lee’s, she noticed, only without the brown that was usually mixed with the color. 

As the boy woke he let out a small gasp. After flicking his gaze around he scanned Azula’s face for a moment, then began to whisper hoarsely. “I need… to ask you something.” His voice wavered weakly.

“What is it?” Azula returned his solemn gaze, feeling an undercurrent of seriousness in his words.

“Come closer.”

She leaned down, closer to the boy’s face.

Suddenly he grinned, and asked, “Will you go penguin sledding with me?” 

  
  
  


In a dimly lit room, a man sat on a throne made of ice lined with luxury furs. He was speaking with an older man standing at the steps below him, and two heavily armored guards stood by either side of him. They were both dressed head to toe in fur-lined winter clothes, and their breaths clouded the air with steam. 

The room around them was large. To the side of an ornate blue rug leading to the throne, tables were piled high with letters from captains and admirals, detailing naval reports and progress on multiple earth kingdom invasions. 

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Unlit lanterns hung from hooks in the walls, and high candles were placed next to the armrest of the throne.

Two figures entered the room, causing the wooden door flanked by guards to creak as it swung open. A boy and a girl.

The boy was dressed similarly to the guards, pure silver armor across his shoulders and chest. A polar bear skin was draped over his back like a cloak, and his dark brown hair was pulled back with shaved sides. 

The girl had meticulously braided long hair, with short bangs. On each side of her head, the ends of two loops of hair were pinned to the back of her head. She donned a parka sporting a small full moon on the chest, the sign of a master waterbender.

“Father.” The taller one, the boy, said in a respectful tone. They both approached the throne and knelt for a moment before standing.

“I trust you two have heard the news?” He waved a hand, dismissing the other man without a word. He froze, then bowed his head. As he passed the children, he caught a glimpse of the girl’s parka. His neutral expression shifted, and the corners of his mouth turned down slightly. He refused the urge to look down at his own. The waning moon printed on the fabric would always be a reminder that he had been bested by a _child_. 

As the door shut behind them, the boy nodded, and the girl spoke with a smile, “Yes Father. It’s great, isn’t it?”

He chuckled. “It is. However,” he paused and eyed both of his children, “This may not be as ideal as we think. Certain… variables are still unknown.”

“What are you saying?” The boy asked, tilting his head.

“I'm saying, Sokka, the avatar _is_ back. We don’t know where he is, where he’s been, or where his loyalties lie.

“I’m tasking you two with tracking him down.”

  
  



	2. With a Little Revalatation I'll Go Far

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two firebenders hitch a ride with the avatar, and two waterbenders are in it for the long haul.

“Will you go penguin sledding with me?”

The question made Azula freeze for a moment. “Will I- what?”

Unfazed by her shock the boy with tattoos sat up and rose to his feet gracefully. He looked around, looking confused at the glaciers. “What’s going on here?”

Zuko took a step closer. “You tell us. Who are you? Why were you in the ice?” He pointedly lowered his sword but didn’t slip it back in its sheath. 

“I’m not sure.” 

A loud, deep lowing sound was heard and felt in the ice beneath them. The boy’s eyes widened and he whipped around to face the source of it. “Appa!” he yelled. 

“Huh?” the firebending siblings said at the same time.

With a leap that defied the laws of physics, he hopped over the slope and slid down into the bottom. Zuko and Azula quickly followed.

Their jaws dropped immediately at the sight before them. A giant furry creature laid down on the ice, with white and brown fur and huge horns. The boy didn’t seem afraid of it. He took a running start and starfished onto the bison’s head. 

“Appa, you’re okay!”

“What  _ is  _ that thing?” Azula questioned as Zuko blinked and stammered.

“I- Azula, it’s a-”

“Appa? He’s my flying bison!” The boy said this cheerfully, and as if it was an obvious fact. 

Flying bison. Those hadn’t existed in almost a hundred years. They were wiped out along with their caretakers, and as far as anyone knew, extinct. Zuko flashed back to his childhood tutors, and images of faded scrolls that depicted different ages and breeds.

_ “Hands off, Prince Zuko. These scrolls are very old. They are some of the last remaining relics of the Air Nation.” His eyes were wide, but he nodded and withdrew his hand from the table. If only he could see one in person. Their fur looked so soft.  _

Now here he was. Eight years later, watching a boy dressed suspiciously like an air nomad rousing a  _ real-life bison _ from its sleep. As it huffed and turned to look at the two of them, Zuko heard Azula huff.

“Flying bison, sure. I’m Azula. This is Zuko, my flying brother.” 

Katara stood on the bow of her ship as it began to sail away from the dock. It was a massive metal warship, one of the finest in the Southern Tribe’s fleet. It was fast, impossible to sink, and more than ready to take whatever the Avatar had coming. 

It also happened to be named after her.

Footsteps sounded on the metal floor behind her as Sokka came to her side. “We’re on course to where the light was spotted. We’ll be there a few hours before sundown.”

“Good. Plenty of time to track this guy down.”

Katara’s brother nodded slightly. There was silence for a moment. “I still can’t believe the avatar is back. It’s been what, a century? Where’s he been all this time?”

She rolled her eyes. “Wherever he’s been, it doesn’t matter. He’s old. Even if he’s mastered all four elements by now he’s no match for  _ me _ .”

Sokka opened his mouth to say something when Katara continued, “Sorry. Us.”

“Don’t sound very sorry.” 

“Don’t be a baby. This is a matter of bending. Even if he only has one or two elements mastered that’s still more than your whopping zero, and I doubt a  _ boomerang _ would do any damage.” 

His cheeks turned a slight shade of pink, and he turned to face his sister instead of the path ahead. “I am a trained Water Tribe warrior! I could beat an old man in a fight any day!”

Katara chuckled. “Don’t let Gran-Gran know about your vendetta against the elderly.”

“Oh shut up!”

He stomped away angrily. Katara felt a twinge of dissatisfaction as he walked away, but took a deep breath of icy air and leaned into the peace that sounds of the ocean brought her. 

  
  


The non-flying bison was taking its sweet time swimming through the water. “He’s just tired,” the boy kept reassuring. “Soon he’ll be soaring through the sky!” Also, the boy’s name was Aang. And he was getting on Azula’s  _ nerves _ . 

Zuko didn’t seem phased by any of it. He was still ogling the bison with awe and more than a little fear. Maybe it was a good thing it didn’t rocket into the sky after all, as Zuzu would’ve likely had an aneurysm. 

“So, Aang.” 

The boy looked back at her over his shoulder, with a sideways grin. “Yes?”

“You’re an airbender.”

To her surprise, he didn’t immediately deny it. He responded casually, “Sure am. Are you two benders?”

Zuko replied, “We’re firebenders.” 

“That’s cool! I have a friend who’s a firebender, his name is Kuzon!” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “You wouldn’t happen to know him, would you?” 

Azula scoffed. “What, are all firebenders supposed to know each other?”

His cheeks went red for a moment. “I guess not-”

“It’s fine, you didn’t mean it like that.” Zuko glared at Azula before continuing. “Aang, if you’re an airbender, do you know anything about the avatar?”  _ Of course _ , his sister thought,  _ just when I thought we were past this _ . 

Aang looked surprised for a moment, then reluctant. “I mean, I know  _ of  _ him. I didn’t, meet him or anything?” 

_ Oh, that’s bison shit. _ Azula’s bs-meter was going off the charts. “Really? You don’t sound too  _ sure _ .” She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. 

“Azula-”

Aang stopped Zuko before he could chide her. He sighed. “It isn’t something I like talking about.” 

Eye contact was made between the siblings. Some silent communication was made, mostly by Azula thinking  _ You take this one _ as hard as she could in her brother’s general direction. He got the point. 

“I understand that.” After a moment of hesitation, he tilted his head just slightly, so that his scar was directly visible to Aang.

“Oh.” the airbender said. “ _ Oh _ .” 

“If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s  _ fine _ .” The emphasis was mostly meant for his sister, who turned away and rolled her eyes.

Aang shook his head. “No. I need to stop running from it.” Before they could wonder what he meant, he turned his back on them and said, “ _ I’m  _ the avatar.”

  
  


After almost two hours on the water, the boat came to a stop. Katara anticipated the knock of the helmsman on the door of her quarters. She slid out of the desk chair and away from the scroll she had been reading. As she opened the chamber door, the man bowed deeply and spoke. 

“Princess,” he began, “We have reached the spot marked on the map. There isn’t much here from what our scouts can see, but we thought you would want to come take a closer look.” 

Katara nodded. “I will be out shortly. Thank you.”

As the helmsman disappeared down the hall the waterbender slid on her parka. Pulling on her gloves, she made her way after him and up the steps.

On the deck of the ship stood a group of guards, and her brother. On one side of the boat, one crewman was unrolling a rope ladder and flinging it down to the ice below. 

“Come on Katara, we’ve got an avatar to catch.” Sokka was already swinging his torso over the railing and onto the ladder. The princess rolled her eyes and barely resisted mumbling,  _ “Like  _ you’ll _ catch anything.” _

The siblings slid down the rope ladder onto the chunk of ice floating in the water. It was very weirdly shaped as if it had exploded from the inside. 

“This is…” Katara took in the scene. “Weird,” she decided. 

“No kidding.” Sokka walked toward the center and knelt. His back was to Katara, and she noticed him looking at something on the surface of the ice. 

“Find something?”

“Maybe.”

He rose to his feet and turned around, holding out something to his sister. It looked like a small clump of white fur. 

“I don’t recognize it. It’s too long to be any kind of polar bear.”

“Huh.” 

A few guards slid down the ladder, surveying the glacier for themselves. Upon inspection, there wasn’t much to see beyond sharp and weirdly shaped ice. “What should we do, your highnesses?”

Sokka went to answer but was cut off. “Take the kayaks and scout the area. The avatar can’t be far.” 

As they climbed the rope ladder back onto the ship, He muttered, “I was gonna say that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading <3  
> Kudos and comments give me life, and you can find me on Tumblr @picross3d  
> I forgot to say this in the last chapter's notes, but both chapter titles are from California by Ricky Montgomery!


	3. Two banished heirs and the Avatar walk into a room...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko is reasonably upset about his fun three-year family getaway being interrupted by actually finding the avatar, Azula just doesn't want total airbender-extinction on her ship, and Iroh has to deal with being the only parent in a situation that demands at least six.

So, he’d done it. He’d found the avatar. Their father’s  _ impossible  _ task was somehow completed. 

Azula was just glad they hadn’t found him three years ago. 

It took her long enough to shake the hold her father had on her and realize how  _ bad _ everything was at home in the Fire Nation. And to realize that she hadn’t come with Zuko out of bad intentions, but due to fear of what would’ve happened if she’d stayed.

Talking him out of returning to the palace would’ve been more daunting than the mission in the first place, at least now Zuko was on the right track to see the truth for himself. 

Still, Azula couldn’t get that scenario out of her head. Spending those years instead with her father and brother under the same roof, always terrified Zuko would say the wrong thing and have Ozai give him a matching scar on his right side. 

Or Azula’s. 

As they got closer and closer to the meager excuse for a warship they were provided all those years ago, she could sense Zuko growing more and more nervous. Past experiences of similar _ ish _ nature plus sisterly intuition told her she would be the one explaining this strange set of circumstances to Uncle.  _ ‘So sorry we were late, Uncle, bonehead here got us lost and raged at an iceberg. Oh, we also found the avatar. There’s that.’  _

Speaking of, Aang seemed pretty focused on the steering of his bison-steed. 

To his credit, he seemed awfully young to have the responsibilities of the avatar. And according to tradition, to even be made aware of it. That also begged the question, where had he been all these years? Unless every other avatar conveniently died young and unknown there was no way for the cycle to have made its way back to air. 

It would probably be easier to just ask, but the silence was tense and Azula didn’t feel like breaking it. 

They were just close enough to the  _ Wani _ for the stout figure of Iroh to be visible. He was waving, and Azula offered a passive-aggressive wave of her hand as a reply. 

She took another glance at her brother. He looked paler than usual, which for their pasty ass Fire Nation skin was saying something, and he was glancing every so often at Aang. With her elbow, she nudged his arm gently. 

Through the silent, royal language of an eyebrow raise, she asked,  _ You okay? _

With a sigh and a shrug he said,  _ I don’t know. _

~~*~~

“My niece! You and your brother sure took your time out there.”

Azula waved away the helping hand that Iroh offered and pulled herself up past the railing. “Blame Zuko. His navigation skills are worse than a winged mole-rat’s.”

The old man chuckled, then held out a hand for Zuko to take on his way up. “I was under the impression that you had gotten sidetracked.” His eyes glanced down at where the bison was “parked”, in the water next to the ship.

“Well, that too.” 

Zuko sent a pleading look at Azula as his feet landed back on the deck.  _ You take this one _ . 

“Uncle, there’s someone you should probably meet. Seriously, before Zuko explodes.”. She leaned back over the railing and shouted at the boy below. “Aang, get up here.”

With a jump aided by a gust of air, the boy rose above the railing and landed gracefully on the ship. “Hi! I’m Aang, nice to meet you!” He held out a hand toward Iroh. 

The older firebender’s eyes were wide, and it took him a moment to come to his senses. When he did, he gripped the boy’s hand with a smile and a hearty chuckle. “You as well!” 

His tone was in between disbelief and laughter. When their handshake dropped, he studied Aang with a mystified gaze. “Forgive me if I am mistaken, but was that airbending?.” 

Aang nodded. “Yup. Probably a little strange to see one so far from an air temple!”

_ This is where I come in _ , she thought.  _ This is already going terribly slow _ . “He’s not just any airbender. He’s-”

To her surprise, Zuko cut her off. “He’s the avatar.” 

One look at her brother set her on edge out of reflex. He was tense, one hand gripping the railing and the other clenched into a fist at his side. His voice was hardened and sounded detached. 

Iroh looked from the boy to his nephew. His face was less bewildered and more ‘ _ This presents many problems’ _ . Zuko took a deep breath and pushed off of the railing, then making his way below deck quickly as the others watched him storm off.

She watched her uncle go through what she’d processed on the way here. Seeing the avatar was an actual child, definitely realizing he was almost the same age as Zuko when It Happened, and the sudden acceptance of whatever responsibility knowing the avatar without immediately handing him over to the Fire Lord would bring. 

And the apprehension for the impending identity crisis that would soon fall on his nephew. 

Aang looked back at Azula and Iroh. “What's going on with Zuko? Is he okay?”

The older man let out a sigh. “I do not know. The whereabouts of the avatar have been a touchy subject for some time. He likely needs time to reflect.” 

The avatar looked worried, and slightly confused, but seemed to accept that. 

Iroh shook his head and smiled. “Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Iroh. Azula and Zuko are my niece and nephew. Aang, was it?” When he nodded in response, he continued, “I must say, it is extraordinary to see an airbender these days. A child, no less.” 

Aang’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What’s so weird about it?” 

The firebenders both stared at the boy for a moment before making eye contact. “I’m going to go check on Zuko,” Azula muttered before walking quickly off the deck. Whatever was going on, she didn’t want anything to do with it. Too much confusion for one day. 

~~*~~

Checking on her brother, while a good excuse, was likely going to be on the same level of emotional exhaustion as breaking the news to a kid that his entire race was dead. 

When she opened his door, she was greeted with a raspy “Ever heard of knocking?”. Zuko was laying on his bed, parka strewn on the floor, and winter boots thrown against the wall. He was on his back, staring at the ceiling. Her mind was forcefully pulled back to a scene from their childhood that was remarkably similar.

_ “Zuzu, why won’t you come play with us?” Azula had slammed the door closed behind her. She was smart enough even then to know that private conversations were never really private if there was a servant around to hear. _

_ He rolled over on his bed to face away from her.  _

_ “Mai’s upset, she won’t let us start without you.” _

_ Azula hopped on his bed, bouncing him close to the edge.  _

_ “Leave me alone Azula!” _

_ The princess frowned. She leaned over him to look at his face and was surprised to see tears gleaming down his cheeks.  _

_ Her tone unconsciously became much gentler. “What’s wrong?”  _

_ He sniffed. “It’s been six months today since Mom disappeared.” _

_ Oh.  _

_ “Oh.” Azula pulled away and pulled her knees to her chest. She felt a little bad for not knowing.  _

_ “I miss her,” Zuko whispered into the pillow.  _

_ “I do too.” She put a hand on her brother’s shoulder and glanced up at a painting on the wall. It was a family portrait, painted the day they had taken a ferry to their home on Ember Island. Before the necessary boat ride was seen as too dangerous for members of the royal family. Before their father had insisted vacations were a waste of his already precious time.  _

_ “I miss her a lot.” _

Azula double-checked the door was closed. “You okay?” 

Zuko lifted his head and looked up at her. 

She sighed. “Look, I know this isn’t going to be easy for you. You’re getting all pissy because just when things get bearable, the avatar  drops in.  _ I’m  _ just making sure you aren’t going to, I don’t know, snap and give the Water Tribes their avatar ahead of schedule.”  _ Or give our father this one _ , she doesn’t say. 

“You know, it may surprise you, but when things go wrong, most people don’t jump straight to murder.”

“Wow, you’re right, it does surprise me.”

They waited in silence for a bit as Azula sat down on the edge of his bed. “So what’s the plan?” she asks. 

He gestured with his hand for her to elaborate.

“I mean, how are we going to play this, dum-dum?  _ I _ wasn’t expecting to ever find this guy and just waltz home.” 

This ship was more of a home than Caldera ever was, but for simplicity’s sake. 

“ _ Neither was I _ .” he all but whispered. Zuko rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands for a moment. “Can’t we just let Uncle handle this one?”

She rolled her eyes. “I was hoping you would have a better idea.”

Azula fell back onto the bed and ran her hands through her untied hair. “That was my plan too.” 

~~*~~

As the crew’s eyelids began to droop, the third boat was being lifted by a waterbender onto the hull. As it’s occupant climbed out, he looked up to see two expectant and angry children staring him down. “You’re highnesses,” he stammered out as quickly as he could. 

The girl spoke first. “What did you find?” 

Regretfully, the crewmate answered, “Nothing. No sign of any ships, or people.”

Sokka groaned loudly. “Seriously! Where is this guy? We’ve been looking for hours.”

“Be patient Sokka, there’s no way he could’ve escaped. And we know this place better than anybody, even the avatar. He isn’t going anywhere we can’t catch up to. Someone will spot him.”

As she finished her speech one of the guards approached her from behind. “Princess-”

“Yes?” 

“The last kayak has returned. They didn’t find a thing.”

There was silence.

“What?” Katara yelled, louder this time. The air around them was now noticeably colder. 

“Send out all the boats again! We will not rest until the avatar is found!” 

Sokka smirked. “What happened to patience?”

Katara stormed away, and with a flick of her wrist wrenched water from the air and froze her brother’s feet to the deck. 

“K-Katara? Hey, unfreeze me right now!” 

~~*~~

Iroh gestured to the inside of the ship. “Come, let’s discuss this over tea.”

The avatar followed him inside and to the kitchen. Iroh picked up a kettle and poured water from a pitcher on the counter. As he set the kettle on the stove, he gestured to a small table in the corner. 

They both sat down. “Young avatar, if I may ask, where have you been? It has been a very long time since your past life came to an end.” 

Aang thought for a moment before answering. “The last thing I remember was leaving the air temple, just last night. I got caught in a storm, and frozen in some ice.” He looked up at Iroh. “I think it’s been a lot longer than just a day.” 

“I think you are right.”

The kettle began to whistle, and the firebender rose from his seat. 

“What is the last date you can remember?”

“Winter, 82 in the era of Roku.”

Iroh’s hand paused as he reached for the kettle. He swiftly recovered and continued preparing the tea.

“You were in that ice for a while.”

“How long?”

He returned to the table with a tray of tea and cups. He poured a cup for Aang and one for himself, then took a sip. 

As he set the cup down, he said, “Aang, it has been almost a century since the Era of Roku.”

The airbender instantly spit out the tea he was drinking and slammed the cup down on the surface of the table.

“A century? But that would mean-”

He stopped, the expression on his face slowly turning mortified. 

“You have been gone for a hundred years.” 

Half an hour later, the ship set sail, and Azula and Zuko walked into the kitchen to Iroh consoling a crestfallen airbender. Aang was hunched over a cup of tea, his head in his hands. Zuko froze as his gaze landed on the boy, then continued to the table. 

“What happened here?” Azula asked. 

“I was in that ice for a hundred years!” Aang yelled. He instantly straightened up and gestured violently with his hands, barely not spilling his cup. 

Zuko and Azula looked at each other, mirroring each other’s shocked expression. “That’s…” she started.

“Intense.” her brother finished. 

“I’m a hundred and twelve years old!”

“Are you… okay?” For a guy still making up his mind about dragging this kid to the worst father of the century, he was still bothering with pleasantries. Aw.

He looked up at Zuko. With a sigh, he said, “I think so. It’s just a lot to take in.”

His eyes went wide. “I haven’t cleaned my _ room _ in a hundred years!”

Azula looked at Iroh. “Uncle, we came to ask you what we should do next. If people learn of the avatar’s reappearance…”

“Ah, yes. I wouldn’t be surprised if the spirit temples have already discovered this. Word will spread soon.” He looked at Zuko. “The Fire Lord will likely be alerted as well.” 

Zuko averted his gaze to the floor. 

Iroh smiled softly. “I suggest we get moving soon. This is Water Tribe territory, and we are still at war.”

Aang spit out another mouthful of tea. “We’re at  _ what now _ ?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaahh this took a little while, sorry about that! I like to be at least a chapter ahead before I post and chapter three took a long time! Anyway, please kudos and comment! <3


	4. Homoerotic Tension the chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK y'all this chapter took a long time and honestly im expecting the rest to take the same amount of time lol,,, thank you so much for reading tho <3

If you’d asked Sokka the last time he and his sister had just hung out together without any animosity or tension, he’d have to stop and think for a minute. Then his answer would likely be something along the lines of, “Shut up.”

The real answer was probably not since they were both 8 and 6.  _ Things have changed since then _ , he had reasoned. 

_ The war has gotten serious, and Mom’s death only proved that.  _ Scanning his memory as he stood stuck to the deck of his ship, waiting for his boots to break free or his sister to get bored, he searched for the last time he had hugged his sister.

_ It was the day of the funeral. He’d watched his little sister break down as Chieftess Kya’s funeral bed was lowered into the sea, and instinctively pulled her into his embrace. She’d shoved him away with tears streaming down her face, and ran away from the crowd gathered at the pier. Sokka turned to follow, but his gaze locked on the wooden raft slowly sinking in the water. _

_ A body wrapped in a beautiful blue shawl laid there. Vines of yellow winter jasmine lined the sides, contrasting the fine morning blue linen.  _

_ He let Katara go, and said goodbye to his mother.  _

From then on out, Katara refused to dwell on the past. She refused to let grief hold her down. The only thing she could do to move forward, the girl seemed to decide at only seven. 

Katara marched into Auntie Hama’s dojo one day and demanded to be taught. The child was the spitting image of her mother and saying no was suddenly much harder for the master. Katara dedicated her life to her training and excelled at it. 

It still stung every time she rubbed his own lack of bending in his face. He could compensate with swords and clubs and tactical skills, but he would never see that look in his father’s eyes that was around whenever he watched Katara bend. It was embarrassing for the  _ younger _ sibling to be the favorite, yet he lived with it every single day. 

As Sokka grew older and smarter, he began to realize. He may be the eldest son and “next in line”, but his little sister was the future cheif. 

It was a long time before the ice that stuck Sokka’s fur-lined boots to the deck melted. He was confused and relieved and didn’t have time to think much about it before his sister stormed up the steps. 

“Sokka!” she yelled, striding up to him so angrily that it would’ve been funny if she wasn’t so terrifying. “What’s the status of the search?” 

His eyebrow twitched. “Same as it was fifteen minutes ago. Nothing. We’re still waiting on a boat, but I don’t think they’ll find anything. Maybe we should just call it a day and start going home.”

His sister’s eyes made contact with his. “I. Will  _ not _ give up so easily.”

“Katara-”

“You might be okay with failure, and letting down our father, especially since it’s  _ all you ever do _ .” Sokka winced. Katara took a small step forward. “But I refuse to.”

She whipped around, causing the loose hair at the end of her braid to whip her brother’s face. “The search will continue!” she yelled. “We will not return to the palace until the avatar joins us.”

The crew around her seemed frozen, gazes drifting from her to each other. They had expected this to be a day’s trip, with provisions to last a week at most. They were already beginning to get tired. The silence was broken when someone in the water below shouted, “Hello? A little help?”

The closest to the edge unrolled a rope ladder and helped heave the kayak up with ropes. Its passenger stepped over the railing and all but sprinted to the princess. 

He was still catching his breath. “Your highness,” he said between pants. “I spotted something.”

“What,” Katara demanded. 

“A trail of smog. I followed it, and it led to a Fire Nation naval vessel.”

His brows furrowed. “I couldn’t see much, I got as close as I could without being spotted, but...”

“There was this creature on the deck with the crewmen. I- It was huge!”

Sokka butt in. “This creature. Did it have white fur?”

He nodded. “With brown markings. This may sound crazy, but, I could’ve sworn it was an air bison. I saw pictures when I was growing up, it’s identical.”

The siblings locked eyes. 

“The Fire Nation is harboring the avatar.” Sokka nodded. 

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go put those firebenders back in their place.”

For once, he and Katara were in total agreement. He had to admit, it felt good. 

If someone told Azula two and a half years ago that in the future she’d be giving the avatar a history lesson in the middle of Water Tribe territory, she would’ve laughed in their face and pushed them over the rail into the stormy water below. Then, eleven-year-old Azula would’ve felt bad and ran to her quarters to cry in secret as others dove in to fish them out.

That was a very interesting time in her life.

Anyway, that's where she was currently. Sat around a table with Uncle, Zuko, and the avatar, waiting for the information to sink into his bald head. 

“So I missed a century of war, my people are d- are gone, and the waterbenders are all evil.”

“That about sums it up.” Still waiting. 

His face hit the table again. Uncle put a comforting hand on his shoulder as he groaned. 

“So now what do I do?”

Iroh smiled. “What do  _ you _ think you should do?”

Aang pondered this for a few moments. “I... “

The ship jerked violently. 

Fucking shit, they were just about to have a plan, too. 

Zuko grabbed Azula and Azula grabbed the table for support. Uncle saved the half-empty teapot from its demise just as a crewman came stumbling through the door. “Jee,” Uncle started, “What is going on?”

“Water Tribe ship,” he blurted out. “There was no sign of a patrol, it just appeared out of the blue. They attacked on sight.” 

The ship evened out, and Uncle stood quickly. “The three of you stay here. The crew and I will handle this.”

Both Azula and Zuko began to argue but were silenced by Iroh holding up his hand. “I need you two protecting the avatar, if the Water Tribe finds him, it could be disastrous.”

Zuko nodded. Azula looked annoyed, but eventually lowered her head slightly. 

“Be safe,” he commented, then followed Jee through the corridor. 

Aang looked up at the two of them. “Are the waterbenders really bad? I’ve been to the southern villages before. I know plenty of good people, from both tribes!” 

Zuko looked down at him solemnly. “You  _ knew _ . Things have changed since you were here last.” 

A loud  _ clang _ above their heads prompted him to grab the avatar’s sleeve and guide him out of the kitchen. “Let’s get down to storage. We’ll be safe there.”

He turned to look at his sister and found thin air. “Azula?”

Aang and Zuko rushed into the corridor in time to see her retreating figure slip up the steps. 

“Shit.”

It was Uncle’s fault really. After three years he should  _ really _ know better than to trust Azula to run away from the fight. Besides. The avatar had Zuko.

Okay. Maybe there  _ was  _ a flaw in the plan.

But that just meant the princess would have to seriously beat waterbender ass.

As soon as the door slammed behind her and Zuko’s “Shit” was hilariously cut off she surveyed the action. Waterbenders had made their way aboard and were smoothly knocking over firebenders and freezing them in place. To the right, Uncle was toe to toe with two of them. 

Her uncle was holding his own pretty well for an old guy. As he sent a kick of flames one man’s way, he caught her eye and yelled, “Block the door! They are here for the avatar!”

By the time her brain caught up to her ears someone dressed in blue was already coming her way. Water was floating in the air beside her, and in a gesture that resembled throwing something, a ball of ice was sent her way.

As the firebender ducked to avoid being brained, the force of the ice sent the door she was guarding flying open. Well, fuck.

Azula rolled backward and sprang up with fire extending from her feet, forcing the waterbender to stumble away. Shifting into a defensive stance, she muttered, “You better be worth my time.”

The other girl rebalanced herself, then pulled seawater toward her harshly through the railing of the deck. “Believe me, I am.” 

For the record, Azula absolutely  _ wasn’t  _ water-blasted through the doorway. 

_ So that’s how it’s gonna be _ , she thought bitterly as she pulled herself up from the soaked floor. All she could do now was stall and hope Zuko and  _ co  _ had made it to storage.

Zuko hadn’t made it to storage. Aang stopped halfway there at the sound of a door being slammed open and winced five seconds later as a loud  _ thud _ echoed through the hall. He looked desperately at the scarred firebender. “What do we do?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re attacking us for  _ avatar _ -related reasons. As long as you’re here they won’t stop, so there isn’t much we  _ can _ do.” 

That was clearly the wrong thing to say he realized, and remorse filled Aang’s face. 

“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen! I don’t even know anything about the war! Can’t we just get them to stop fighting and listen?” 

He couldn’t believe it. “Sure, why didn’t we think of that a hundred years ago? Hey guys, listen up, the avatar wants to  _ talk _ !”

As the airbender shrank back Zuko continued. “They aren’t interested in  _ talking _ . All they care about is taking more and more from everyone in this damn war. They aren’t going to start listening to us now.”

Aang slumped down against the wall “This is my fault.” 

_ Fuck.  _ Zuko’s face fell, and he felt torn between saying “ _ No it isn’t _ ” and “ _ yes it is _ ”. 

As much as Aang being the avatar, Aang’s  _ existence _ actually, filled him with turmoil, in the moment he just looked like a depressed kid. And Zuko didn’t need to be around  _ another  _ depressed kid right now. 

“Aang, look-”

“Zuko. Even if I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, it’s still my fault for running away that night. _ A hundred years ago _ .” He looked up at Zuko with a new determined look in his eyes. “I’m gonna fix it.” 

  
  


At some point during their quarrel, the girl’s brother showed up and plowed down the hallway.  _ A one on two _ , she’d thought, until he pulled out a spear instead of bending and charged at her. She’d quickly disarmed him and broken the spear in two, which simultaneously made him angry and pouty.

The girl aimed a fist at her face, which took Azula more force to stop than she’d like to admit. Still, she blocked her second punch a moment later and used her hold on the girl’s fists to twist her arms and shove her into the corridor wall. The boy charged her, now with a boomerang in hand. She sidestepped and ducked under his arm before sweeping his legs out from under him with a swift kick. 

“Nice try, but no.” 

“We know you have the avatar. Just hand him over, and we’ll leave you alone!” The waterbender sounded tired and out of breath. 

Azula scoffed. “No, I don’t think I will. I’m handling  _ you  _ pretty well. Plus, this is just getting fun.” 

“Have it your way.” With a noodly arm made of water, she reached for Azula’s leg and yanked it out from under her. She dangled the firebender in the air, then slammed her into the ceiling. 

Azula let out a less-than princessy groan as she fell back to the floor. Before she could get back on her feet, she was being lifted by her collar and shoved against the wall by the waterbender. 

“Had enough yet?” she asked, her face invading the firebender’s personal space. Azula leaned in closer. 

She could feel the waterbender’s breaths on her cheek, she realized, as she stared into the narrowed blue eyes in front of her.  _ Pretty _ , she noticed.  _ Fuck, wrong thing to focus on _ .

In between deep breaths, she whispered, “I’m just getting started.”

_ Thank you for the lessons, Uncle _ , she thought as she began to spray blue flames from her mouth. 

The water tribe siblings jerked back to avoid being burned, and her feet touched the ground once more. She barely stifled a laugh at the utter shock that adorned the girl’s face. 

She threw a few fireballs in their general direction in an attempt to drive them up the steps and out the door but each blast was (narrowly) extinguished before major damage was done. Icicles were thrown, almost slicing her face open as she barely dodged. 

“Not bad, for a waterbender.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, for a firebender.”

The benders fell into sync, taking turns dodging and hurtling cyan blasts of their element at the other. A well-timed ice-punch would catch Azula in the side, but she would return the favor immediately with a flaming kick. It reminded her of dancing.

_ Back before the Fire Nation had decayed and more or less become a shell of what once was, parties were commonplace for anything worth celebrating. She still had hazy yet bright memories of standing on her mother’s fancy shoes and laughing as she was paraded around.  _

_ Another time, it was the birthday of someone important. Possibly Grandfather. She and Zuko were dancing together in between royal couples. They weren’t very coordinated, but that was to be expected of a four and six-year-old. She stepped on Zuko’s foot a few times, one possibly on purpose, but he never got mad. He only snickered and lightly pressed back on her toes.  _

This fight shared the same feeling of connection. They were two opposites, partners, moving with and around each other. Azula felt the beginnings of a smile on her lips.

The feeling lasted until she realized the girl’s brother was nowhere to be seen. 

_ Shit. _

As Aang turned and ran for the hall, Zuko had no choice but to follow. They were cut off about halfway to the kitchen by running right into someone clad in armor. All three of them fell to the ground, dazed. 

Blinking his eyes, Aang found himself making eye contact with a water tribe warrior. The airbender quickly sprang to his feet and held up his hands in the air non threateningly. “Don’t attack us! We just want to talk!”

“You’re the avatar!” No time was wasted before the warrior was on his feet and attempting to grab the boy. He dodged his hand easily and ducked under his arm as he slid behind him.  _ What’d I say, avatar _ , Zuko thought.

Zuko rose to his feet and ignited a flame around his wrist. “Get off my ship,” he snarled before lunging. 

His attack was dodged, and he was on his back again before he could process what was happening.  _ That went well _ .

When he managed to lift his pounding head off the floor he saw the airbender weaving between his attacks and trying his best to defend himself with gusts of air. He got in a lucky shot. The water tribe man was slammed against the wall. He slumped down, looking unconscious. 

Zuko dragged himself to his feet and started down the hall. “Come on, let’s go find Azula.”

They found her, alright. They hadn’t even rounded the corner yet when a blast of blue fire skidded them to a halt. Sheepishly, they peeked their heads around the corner and watched as Azula and the waterbender battled. They both looked focused, staring intently at each other as water and fire were thrown through the air. 

“Azula!” Zuko called, breaking his sister’s concentration. 

“Zuko, what are you-”

She was shoved off her feet by a blast of water to her face. As she stumbled back into the wall, she spat out seawater and frowned.

“Damnit Zuko, you messed me up!” 

He rolled his eyes, and rushed forward with Aang by his side. “You’re welcome for coming to help your ass.” 

“Didn’t need it!”

He pulled her up, and turned to face the waterbender. “I know you’re here for the avatar, and you’re not getting him. Get off our ship, now.” 

“Who do you think you are, telling the  _ Princess  _ of the _ Southern Water Tribe  _ what to do?” 

The firebending siblings made eye contact. 

“The prince of the Fire Nation.”

The girl stared in silence.

“And the princess.” Azula added. She waved her hand a little, feeling awkward immediately after. 

“The hell are you doing in the south pole?” she asked before clanging footsteps sounded from behind the four of them. 

“Katara!” someone yelled. Zuko bristled as he recognized the voice of the water tribe warrior. 

“Took you long enough, Sokka.”

As he finally rounded the corner, he leaned against the wall, panting. The armor was definitely compensating for a wimpy build, Zuko decided, as he pulled into a defensive stance. 

“There were a few difficulties.” He pulled a club off of his back and charged at Zuko, as Katara did the same with a stream of water from a cantine tied to her waist. Azula and her brother were back to back, preparing to strike when Aang yelled.

“Wait!” 

Zuko, to his credit, actually stopped, and was as a result hit in the shoulder with a metal club as his focus was tied to the avatar. Azula scoffed as it happened and drove Katara, _ thats a nice name _ , back with a blast of fire. 

“If I go with you, will you stop fighting?”

The water tribespeople actually stopped at that point. 

Sokka’s face looked blank. “You’re just gonna, like, come with us?” When the boy nodded, he looked at his sister. 

She met his eyes, and with the same skeptical expression she shrugged at him. 

“Aang, you aren’t going anywhere. Not with these bloodfreezers, they’re dangerous.” Azula punctuated her sentence with a threatening glare. The airbender wilted a little, but kept speaking.

“Look, I can’t thank you two enough for rescuing me, but it’s my fault you’re being attacked. If i go, you’ll be safe.”

“Bullshit.” 

They all looked at Zuko expectantly, who was cradling his injured shoulder. 

_ This will either be the highlight of my week or the biggest disappointment of my life _ , his sister said internally. 

He took way too long to string together his sentence. “You aren’t going anywhere. You’re the world’s last hope to end this war the right way.”  _ That’s… vague _ .

“Peacefully,” he finished. 

_ Attaboy, Zuzu.  _ Peace was overrated, but at least he seemed to embrace the anti-Ozai sentiment. 

Katara scoffed, drawing attention back to their attackers. “That’s nice and all, but we have some things to discuss with the avatar. So I think we’ll take him up on that offer.”

Sokka chimed in. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.” 

“Shut up, water boy!” 

“What did you just call me?”

The fighting resumed.


	5. ahaha woooooowwww

For as much shit they gave each other, Azula and Zuko fought  _ well _ together. Whether that was due to a sibling bond or the result of constant sparring didn’t really matter as they drove their attackers out of the corridor and back on deck. Azula smirked as Katara grunted in frustration.

“We aren’t leaving until we get what we want!”

Zuko landed a lucky kick, sending her a few feet toward the rail of the ship.

“Uh, yeah you are.” His raspy voice contained more condescension than Azula thought possible. She was a little proud, actually. 

Sokka charged and earned a similar blow. His tunic tinged with cold fire, he turned toward his sister. “Can’t you pull some bending shit?”

Azula chuckled.  _ Non benders were so funny _ , the more Ty-Lee loving part of her chimed in. She should really write her another letter. She missed her.

Katara took advantage of her place near the rail and pulled a stream of water over the side. She shoved forward in a move not dissimilar to firebending, and the salt water hit her and Zuko head on.  _ I swear to Agni if my tunic dries crusty- _

They continued to spar until eventually, the boy was knocked back into the ocean. His surprised shriek as he hit the freezing water was hilarious. Katara’s split second of reflection before turning to fish him out was golden, too. 

“ _ Princess! _ ” Someone yelled. The firebenders and Aang turned toward the attacking ship, and saw a bruised water tribe man shouting from the deck. 

“Princess, we must retreat! Our men are injured. We have to go now before they can reach the ship!” As the girl pulled her brother out of the water with bending, she glanced at her surroundings. 

Azula did the same and was pleasantly surprised. Waterbenders were struggling against the Fire Nation’s motley crew, both benders and non benders getting in dirty punches as they attempted to form bending stances.  _ Too slow, try again _ . 

Even the avatar’s fur-beast was getting in on the action. Sweeping his tail across the deck, he managed to take out a couple distracted men.  _ Amazing, you funky little monster.  _

The water tribe was tired, and it showed. The fire princess smiled with glee as she realized  _ they had won _ . 

“Fine.” Katara’s admission was barely a whisper, but she shoved a fist upward and an ice bridge was made between the two ships. Her brother huffed in relief, but straightened up immediately at her glare. 

They sprinted across the ice, with other waterbenders following their example and doing the same. Zuko walked toward the ice, and dropped into a bending stance. “‘Zula, help me with this?”

Together they brought their boots down on the ice, separating the two ships from each other as they both began to speed up. The siblings sharply smiled at each other before turning their gazes to the fleeing ship. Azula barely made contact with a pair of angry ocean blue eyes before a glacier blocked her view. 

“ _ Jeez _ .” They turned around to see Aang doubled over, sighing in relief? Weariness? Fatigue?

“That was intense!”

  
  
  


Yellow eyes met hers, then were gone in an instant. 

Katara didn’t waste any time in storming below deck.

_ “You must find the avatar.” _ Footsteps thudded along the floor of the ship, and a door slammed with the sound resonating through the hall. _ ”Do not return without him.” _

Katara stood in place for a moment. Her father’s parting words resonated through her body.

_ “As long as it takes.”  _ Her hand, still outstretched on her door, tensed and curled into a fist. She sent a punch into the air, pulling the water from a pitcher on her desk into an icicle that stabbed through her wooden dresser. 

“Fuck.”

She stormed to her bed and shed her parka.  _ We were  _ so _ close _ . Gently, she untied the ribbon keeping her hair pulled up. Toeing off her snow boots, she kicked them to the side

_ Why was the avatar here anyway? And why was he with  _ firebenders _? _

The waterbender sat on the edge of her luxurious bed and absentmindedly stroked her mother’s necklace as she lost herself in thought.  _ He reappeared recently. He had to, otherwise we would’ve been sent away sooner. So how has he already become allied with those  _ firebenders _? Why? _

_ It doesn’t matter why _ , she realized.  _ What matters is that he comes with us. If I can get him alone and talk, maybe he’ll see things from our side. _

A small part of her doubted it, but the dominant, authority-pleasing side of her was full of overconfidence. All she needed was a plan.

Her fathers words filled her mind.

_ “Katara, you must find the avatar. Do not return without him.” He took his hand off her shoulder. “As long as it takes.” _

Conveniently enough, she now had plenty of time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok this chapter was very short and I apologize! Next chapter is going to be a lot tho! (suki!!!)

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinking about this au since the beginning of quarantine, and I'm so glad I finally wrote it. The title is from the song Golden Brown by The Stranglers. Kudos and comments warm my heart <3


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